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Wednesday, June 27, 2018

Wall·E & Eve Wooden Collectibles—Limited Edition

Wow—I feel like almost every other day this month we've been celebrating another Pixar film anniversary! This one is a big one because, as of today, it's officially been 10 years since Wall·E hit theaters; an entire decade already since these two lovable robots won over our hearts. Happy birthday to this instant classic! Pixar at its best.

Over the past few months, I've been reviewing these Pixar character wooden collectibles sets and thought today would be the perfect time to share this Wall·E inspired 2-pack! What's cool is that the packaging here with this set even acknowledges Wall·E's 10th anniversary with the little icon down in the left hand corner (seen in my closeup below). I thought that was a pretty awesome detail.

OK let's get into it. If you haven't read my previous posts, here's a little background for this collection. If you have read them, most of this will sound awfully familiar...

Last summer during the 2017 D23 Expo, Disney & Pixar (with creative
guidance from John Lasseter) debuted a new collection inspired by
traditional Japanese wooden collectibles known as Kokeshi
dolls. The collection began with three Disney Store D23 Expo exclusive
sets: Buzz & Woody (which I picked up of course, see my full blog
post HERE), Anna & Elsa and Moana & Maui—each set limited to only 300 units produced. A few months after that, ShopDisney.com released (to my surprise) two more wooden collectible sets: a Cars 3 one (featuring Lightning McQueen & Cruz
Ramirez; see post HERE) and a Monsters Inc.
one (featuring Mike & Sulley; see post HERE).
I realized then that this collection was really becoming a thing and it
seemed as though even more sets would be released in the future. Could
every Pixar film be eventually represented? Time would tell. Now flash
forward to early 2018, and once again we were treated to yet another two
surprise sets of Pixar friends—this Wall·E inspired set (featuring Wall·E himself & Eve) and an Up one (featuring Carl & Russell; see post HERE). I was ecstatic!

As usual, this set is a limited edition of only 400 and is sold only on
the ShopDisney website HERE
(not sold in stores). I LOVE the way these characters are stylized and
they will display perfectly next to all the others. Just look at them!
So simple, yet so effective (it's so cool how they're broken down into they're most basic geometric shapes). My hat goes off to the designer, Jen Tan
(Creative Director of Consumer Products at Pixar), who created the
signature look of each and every one of these wooden collectibles. She
did a fabulous job. In fact, you can see the entire character lineup she
illustrated on her Instagram HERE. The designs have even been utilized on shirts (one from last year's D23 Expo and a couple available now only to annual pass holders during Disneyland's Pixar Fest) and Dooney and Bourke bags.

As with the others in this collection, the packaging is clean and
minimal—they were definitely marketing to adult collectors like myself (these are
certainly not toys). You can tell right away from looking it it that
this is a special item. The box is basically one big clear plastic case
with a scenic cardboard stand/ backdrop that can be easily
removed (as seen below). The Disney Store
logo is featured in the top left corner. The backdrop art is amazing
and I love the fragmented, minimalist style (and the use of texture is outstanding). I wonder who did it? It makes for a solid display
piece in or out of the package.

Now let's take a look at these guys out of the packaging! I'm obsessed; they're seriously just too charming.

These are
maliciously designed, quality crafted and hand painted (made entirely
out of solid wood; both are decently heavy for what they are). As far as
their size, Wall·E is 3.5" tall and Eve is 4" tall. The dimensions of the packaging are 6'' H x 9" W x 4'' D. Retail price for this set, like the
others, is $59.95 (which yes, is extremely pricey, but hey, it's Disney and a limited edition—it's what I expect at this point).

Underneath
them, you'll find the Disney/Pixar copyright and the "limited edition
number of 400" wording. And maybe you're thinking this too, but I thought it was kind of funny that these Japanese inspired collectibles were actually made in China ;)

No limited edition item is complete without a certificate of
authenticity! My edition number is 98/400 (not too shabby). The
certificate can be found under and within the cardboard base and can be a little difficult to remove—so don't forget it! The art on the certificate is fantastic as well; love the colors and the use of the iconic Axiom design.

As a big fan of Wall·E, this is a most welcomed addition to my collection (especially since any new Wall·E items are few and far between these days). I highly
recommend it to any and all Disney collectors who love these classic
characters! If you're interested in this set, I wouldn't hesitate too
much. It's still in stock on the ShopDisney site HERE
(which I'm really surprised about after all these months), but once it's gone, it's gone.

Be sure to let me know
your thoughts or any questions you might have in the comments below! Which characters would you like to see made next? I know there's an Incredibles wooden collectibles 3-Pack on sale at Disneyland right now for $100, but I haven't figured out how to get it yet. Stay tuned.